<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Words Fail by lxvitate</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23335597">Words Fail</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lxvitate/pseuds/lxvitate'>lxvitate</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Bad Ending, Betrayal, Dear Evan Hansen References, Hurt Klaus Hargreeves, Hurt No Comfort, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Lies, M/M, Modern Era, No Fluff, Not Beta Read, Pain, Sad, Sad Ending, Sorry Not Sorry, Suffering</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 07:01:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,258</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23335597</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lxvitate/pseuds/lxvitate</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Klaus lies to join Dave's family. He just wanted to escape his own life.</p><p>It all comes crashing down.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dave/Klaus Hargreeves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Words Fail</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Get ready for a wild one folks. Get ready.</p><p>I'll leave it up to you as to what Klaus did. If you want to use the musical's story, go ahead.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Klaus didn't want this. He didn't want the staring. The silence. The <em>betrayal.</em></p><p>
  <em>I never meant to make it such a mess.</em>
</p><p>"Klaus-" Dave said, and Klaus has never hated anything more. The way his name falls from his lover's lips in shambles. Broken. The way his voice cracks in shame.</p><p>
  <em>I never thought that it would go this far.</em>
</p><p>The space seemed to widen. Dave stood behind his parents at the kitchen table, only a few feet away from Klaus.</p><p>But it felt so far.</p><p>
  <em>So I just stand here sorry.</em>
</p><p>Dave's father slowly shook his head on disappointment, turning away and walking off.</p><p>
  <em>Searching for something to say.</em>
</p><p>Dave's mother stood up so sharply, the chair tipped back. She followed after her husband, lips tight.</p><p>
  <em>Something to say.</em>
</p><p>Dave remained in the quiet space, his expression unnatural. No such emotion should have ever been shown on his perfect face. And worst of all, Klaus was the one who caused it.</p><p>He didn't stay to see Dave leave.</p><p>
  <em>Words fail. Words fail.</em>
</p><p>Klaus burst outside the door, slamming it behind him. He veered left and leaned against the cold brick, letting his head bounce against the wall harshly.</p><p>
  <em>There's nothing I can say.</em>
</p><p>God, he was so <em>stupid</em>.</p><p>He couldn't let it be. He couldn't stand by and mind his own fucking business. And now he hurt the only person who treated him as an equal.</p><p>It just...hurt.</p><p>It hurt so fucking much.</p><p>Klaus gripped his hair and sobbed, slowly lowering himself to the ground. Dave didn't deserve this. He could do so much better.</p><p>The door slowly opened, and Dave stepped onto the wet grass. He walked over to Klaus and sat beside him. Klaus' heart broke.</p><p>He sat so far away.</p><p>The Dave he didn't betray would have sat so close that their thighs would touch.</p><p>But Dave now sat so far away from him that his fingers would barely graze his shoulder.</p><p>Silence. Silence that Klaus would normally welcome, in contrast to the screams of the damned that was the usual. Now he loathed it. He wanted Dave to say something. Anything.</p><p>"Why, Klaus." His voice was frail, soft. A voice that had calmed him down from panic attacks and night terrors so many times. Now it had a layer of ice, cold and bitter. Klaus deserved that.</p><p>"I-I...I don't-" He choked, eyes trained to the floor. His mouth wouldn't work, and he wasn't sure if it was because there truly was nothing to say, or his burning throat wouldn't let him say a single letter without breaking down further.</p><p>
  <em>I guess I though I could be part of this.</em>
</p><p>Dave's family was perfect. His parents, his siblings, <em>him.</em></p><p>
  <em>I never had this kind of thing before.</em>
</p><p>Dave stared ahead, face eerily still. His emotions switched off.</p><p>Somehow that was worse than anger.</p><p>"You just-" He sobbed, bringing his knees to his chin and wrapping his arms around them. "You all...you a-all seemed s-so...so <em>perfect. </em>I-I wanted that so...<em>fucking</em> bad. I-" He cut off, not knowing what else to say.</p><p>
  <em>I never had the dad who stuck it out.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>No corny jokes or baseball gloves.</em>
</p><p>Klaus thought about his reasons. Like when Dave's father had shown him tips for sports Klaus had never heard of. The most his father did was...</p><p>Well, when did his father actually do anything for them?</p><p>
  <em>No mom who just was there, cause mom was all that she had to be.</em>
</p><p>Klaus thought about the thousands of times he'd wanted comfort. Any kind of physical reassurance that he was going to be okay. He'd run to Grace, clinging to her torso so hard, she'd break a rib if she were human. But all he felt was cold. Smooth, hard metal of a mom who couldn't quite understand why he was crying in the first place.</p><p>Dave's mom had warmth. She hugged him every time he came by, every time he left. It felt good, it felt <em>real. </em>She didn't know, none of them did. But the care was there.</p><p>
  <em>That's not a worth explanation. I know there is none.</em>
</p><p>"I just don't get it, Klaus. I can't make sense of it." Dave said, his voice losing the cold edge, now sounding like defeat.</p><p>"Nothing can." Klaus mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut.</p><p>Dave sighed softly, silence taking hold once again. Klaus wished for everything to be fixed. He wished to wake up and everything would be okay.</p><p>But that's just running from his problems.</p><p>
  <em>Sometimes, you see everything you wanted. An</em>
  <em>d sometimes, you see everything you wish you had. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And it's right there</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Right there</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Right there.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>In front of you.</em>
</p><p>Klaus sniffed, closing in tighter. He wanted everything to stop for once. To rewind so he couldn't fuck everything up.</p><p>Again.</p><p>"I thought that-" He swallowed thickly. "Thought that...I could make things better for myself..."</p><p>Dave let out an humourless laugh. The coldness had returned. Dave was never cold.</p><p>"Just having me around wasn't good enough? I-" His voice broke with Klaus' heart. "I <em>loved </em>you, Klaus."</p><p>Loved.</p><p>
  <em>This was just a sad invention.</em>
</p><p>Dave wiped at his eyes. Dave never cried. "I loved you...because I thought you were <em>different</em>. I thought you cared."</p><p>"I <em>do </em>care." Klaus said, raising his voice. "I care...<em>so much, </em>Dave." He clenched his hair into his fists violently.</p><p>
  <em>It wasn't real, I know.</em>
</p><p>"We were <em>happy, </em>okay!" His voice was rising, his vision blurring severely. Sobs wracked his body. "I couldn't give that up, I-I couldn't...I couldn't <em>let it go.</em>"</p><p>Dave moved his head to his left and looked at Klaus in his breakdown. Tears were streaming down his face in silence.</p><p>
  <em>I guess I wanted to believe.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cause if I just believe.</em>
</p><p>"I didn't want to see what's there." He pointed frantically at himself, angry. His breathing was erratic. "I would rather pretend I'm not this...broken <em>mess. </em>Because if I can't see it, <em>no one can.</em>" His voice was hoarse and furious.</p><p>Dave's face never changed. His eyes grew sad and angry. He tasted the salt from his tears, but made no movement.</p><p>
  <em>Before I lead with the worst of me.</em>
</p><p>"I can't let the see the worst of me." Klaus quieted, breaking off to a whisper. He stood up quickly starting to walk away.</p><p>"Klaus." Dave spoke, finally making a move and standing up behind him. Klaus froze, shaking.</p><p>
  <em>What if everyone saw?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>What if everyone knew?</em>
</p><p>"Would they like what they saw?" He breathed quietly. "Or would they hate it, too?" He said it louder, whirling around. His tear streaked face catching the light from the porch.</p><p>Dave said nothing. Again.</p><p>Klaus watched, distraught, as Dave slowly walked to the door. He opened it with a heavy hand, looking back at Klaus with a similarly stained face.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Klaus. I really am." His voice had gone soft again, defeated. Broken.</p><p>Klaus fucked up. He just threw away the best thing to ever happen to him. This is what he deserved.</p><p>The remains of Klaus' heart disintegrated with the click of the door, as the porch light shut off.</p><p>
  <em>Will I just keep on running away from what's true?</em>
</p><p>Klaus ripped off the dog tags he treasured deeply and threw them at the door with a loud clack. He turned from the house sharply, walking away.</p><p>"All I ever do is run." He whispered, fresh tears coming down once again.</p><p>
  <em>How do I step in?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Step into the sun.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>